Image: The Roche Accu-Chek Inform II wireless enabled blood glucose meter (Photo courtesy of Roche Diagnostics).

Wireless point of care testing (POCT) blood glucose meters and data management solutions are helping hospitals perform rapid and accurate recording of patient test results.

The Roche Accu-Chek Inform II wireless enabled blood glucose meter is designed to make testing fast and simple, allowing staff the time and freedom to focus on their patients. The device can be configured to report critical range values, preventing unneeded patient interventions. The Accu-Chek Inform II uses test strips that offer a unique curved target area and capillary action for simplified testing and out-of-meter dosing for improved infection control. Oxygen-independent chemistry offers proven accuracy at varying hematocrit levels, as well as eliminating interferences from more than 125 substances.

The Accu-Chek Inform II meters are linked wirelessly to a Hospital Information System (HIS) via the Roche Point of Care (POC) data management solution, cobas IT 1000, which permits on line data management. In addition to transmitting patient results, the system also records quality control (QC) results, operator and patient details, consumable details, configuration information, and comments. The reporting functions are matched to institution policies, facilitating regulatory compliance, streamlining the workload, and enhancing patient safety efforts. The Roche Accu-Chek Inform II and cobas IT 1000 are products of Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland).

“Wireless connectivity allows the glucose meters to be ‘seen’ at all times,” said Tracey Eastwood, of the UK Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust (Wakefield, United Kingdom), which had implemented the system in wards, clinics, and operating theatres across all three of its acute hospital sites. “This means that there is regular and fast transmission of data, even when the meters are not sitting in their docking stations, and each meter can be accessed by authorized individuals at any time and from any PC within the trust. They only need to be returned to their docking stations to be recharged.”

“Our new blood glucose testing system provides a central record of all data, including QC records, which, in turn, provide an important audit trail,” added Ms. Eastwood. “The system also enables us to manage reagents, calibrations, and quality control centrally. Centralized calibration of glucose meters has removed the risk of operator errors and the QC lockout feature ensures that operators perform the necessary QC activities at the required intervals, otherwise the meter cannot be used.”

Guangzhou Jia Yu medical equipment Limited